New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The idea for getting married was partly Kevin 's idea .

The 11-year-old also thought it would be neat if daddy and papa tied the knot on the same day the couple met 15-years earlier on a softball field .

So Peter Mercurio -- papa -- and Daniel Stewart -- daddy -- started planning .

`` I was walking Kevin to school one morning , '' Mercurio said , explaining to his son that he did not know yet who would conduct the ceremony , or where . And he said , ` Do n't judges perform ceremonies ? Why do n't you try to contact the judge who finalized my adoption ? ' I said that was a great idea . ''

In Manhattan Family Court last July , with a few friends and family present , the state affirmed what the three guys had known instinctively for a long time : they were a family .

Their story comes as the U.S. Supreme Court gets ready to debate on Tuesday and Wednesday the issue of same-sex marriage -- the legalities , the politics , the social implications .

It is a personal narrative , though no less important -- than trying to figure out the meaning of the Constitution and the limits of `` equal protection . ''

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A day old and abandoned

`` I found a baby ! '' Stewart 's voice was frantic , and the echoes from the A/C/E subway station on Eighth Avenue only added to the initial confusion . `` I said I had called 911 , but I did n't think they believed me . ''

`` I told him I did n't believe it either , '' said Mercurio .

But he rushed to the scene and to a remote area behind the turnstiles . There , wrapped in a dark sweatshirt , lying quietly , was a brown-skinned , day-old infant . Abandoned .

They could have walked away , but they stayed .

Authorities soon arrived and took the child , naming him Daniel Ace Doe -- for the man who found him , the subway line , and the sad anonymity .

The story made news .

A few months later , Stewart was called to testify in family court about .

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The judge dropped a bombshell : `` Would you be interested in adopting this baby ? ''

The answer was an immediate yes .

But Stewart privately knew it would not be easy . His partner at first wanted to go slowly , or not at all .

`` My first reaction when I heard : ` Are you insane ? How could you say yes without consulting me ? ' '' said Mercurio , laughing at the memory .

The couple had been together three years but their careers as an aspiring playwright and social worker took precedence at the time .

Becoming parents and strengthening their bond was never discussed .

`` I saw this opportunity here , this gift to be parents to this child . And how could we not say yes to that opportunity ? '' Stewart said told CNN Justice Correspondent Joe Johns . `` It seemed like it was divine intervention -- it was meant to be . ''

Mercurio agreed .

`` I think a lot of my initial response to Danny -- saying we were not ready to do this -- was all fear-based . And once I got over that , a calm set in . And you know , we went about methodically , preparing our lives for a child . ''

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Crib and blankets just before Christmas

It was a mad scramble to get ready , parenting classes , crib , diapers , and blankets . Then just days before Christmas , they were told the baby would be transferred to their care .

`` Our paternal instincts took over and it became a natural thing of how to take care of him , '' Mercurio said .

They took their son home on a snowy day , riding the same C train where they found him .

As blessed as they felt , the couple knew there would be challenges .

When they first held the boy -- whom they soon renamed Kevin -- at the foster home they found him guarded .

`` In fact when we saw him he did n't blink . His eyes were just wide open and his arms were very stiff and tightly crossed across his chest , '' said Mercurio .

`` So we got him in this condition and we thought we just need to love this kid immediately , '' added Stewart . `` So we played with him and build up his trust in parents . Build up his trust in adults -- that he could be cared for , nurtured , and loved . So we showered him with love and touch . Did n't take long . He loosened up . ''

CNN is not identifying Kevin by his last name or his picture , to protect his privacy . But he knows the story of his discovery .

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A quiet family life

Mercurio and Stewart created an illustrated child 's storybook , dramatizing the events -- from the subway to meeting his new family .

`` One day he asked me : Dad is the story about me ? '' said Stewart .

`` I was very happy , '' said Kevin .

He likes sports , his school , and his friends .

The family went back to the dark underground station . They were all a little nervous about how Kevin would react .

`` I think that was important for him to see and know that because now he has a connection , '' said Stewart . `` I mean it 's not just something abstract . He really has seen , and knows , and understands . And he has taking a lot of pride in that spot . That 's his station . That 's his place . This is where we became a family . ''

Stewart and Mercurio are not activists . They live , quiet lives in Manhattan and like all parents , find joy and occasional frustration in raising a soon-to-be teenager .

`` You know sometimes in life you have to say yes , '' Mercurio said . `` And we said ` yes ' to becoming this baby 's parents and it was the best ` yes ' decision we have ever made in our lives . ''

Stewart said the story speaks to a core of humanity .

`` I mean , deep down when you strip away all those layers , all those labels , we 're all human beings and were all connected by certain things that we need in our lives -- love , '' he said .

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CNN 's Joe Johns and Stacey Samuel contributed to this story .

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Story of a same-sex couple personalizes family as Supreme Court readies for arguments

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Baby was found abandoned in a New York City subway station

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` Papa ' and ` Daddy ' wed on the anniversary of meeting -- but they were already a family

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The family lives a quiet life in Manhattan